This week a $150,000 tālā payment started for the second million tālā per annum for the second year of FAST Government campaign promise during the FAST political campaign in April 2021.

That is short by $850,000 per district which the Minister in charge said this should be released in December 2023.

Only $200,000 was paid to Districts from the first million dollars in the first year of FAST’s Term, leaving $800,000 per District for 5 Districts not yet paid out.

Again, the Minister promised not to worry. It will be available some day in the future. What is amusing is that, Cabinet from top to bottom and vice versa do not seem to worry.

Is it because, there is another secret source of cash to prop up the Ministers spending spree?

The first $200,000 has been spent by many Committees on FAST’s initiated employees, committee members allowances and Committee offices built or leased.

Many MP’s have either arranged for these offices to be set up on their homes, or lease basis or newly built houses are built on their customary or freehold lands.  

This means the buildings built from Government Funds belong to MPs and many MPs are benefitting also from the lease payments for the use of their lands.

We of the HRPP MPs have resolved to set up offices either on school grounds or on Church properties, where collective ownership assures the benefits accrue to the community at large.

Financial Reports must also be properly prepared and audited by professionally qualified auditors.

This is the reason why we issue weekly Letters to the Editor in English for our media to make all donor partners fully aware, where their assistance are being directed to under a system, where transparency and accountability are not observed and the rule of law does not exist.

Samoa is too small and the extended family system is very much alive where nothing inappropriate, done in secret, can remain secret for long.

We are in a recession, so rather than lying and keep on lying, tell our people that the promises made during the campaign were unrealistic.

Then proceed and put in place plans to restructure the economy, and stop pretending. 

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi

Leader of HRPP